Under the official filibuster rules, Wendy (we feel like we're on a first-name basis now) went without food, water, and bathroom breaks for half a day (!)—standing up and speaking passionately in now-famous neon pink sneakers. Her mission? Keep talking until midnight, so her opponents couldn't vote "yes" on SB-5... but it wasn't easy.

Challengers were ready to pounce if she faltered or even changed topics slightly. She was hit with a warning when a colleague tried to help her put on a back brace for her aching back, because filibuster rules say Wendy wasn't allowed to accept "outside assistance."

She was nabbed again—and her filibuster broken–shortly before midnight, when Republicans said her discussion of mandatory ultrasounds testing was "off topic." (Sigh.) "At what point must a female senator raise her hand or her voice to be recognized over her male colleagues?", another badass, Sen. Leticia Van De Putte, asked in the chamber.

But Wendy couldn't be defeated. Just try not to get chills watching this video, in which hundreds of Wendy supporters cheer her name in a "people's filibuster" that delayed the state congress members from voting. Cue: #STANDWITHWENDY sweeping Twitter.

Shortly thereafter, SB-5 was voted on and passed, but in the wee hours, around 3 a.m., Texas Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst confirmed that Wendy and her supporters had pushed the vote time to 12:03am, so the vote didn't count and the bill is dead. "Thanks to the powerful voices of thousands of Texans, #SB5 is dead. An incredible victory for Texas women and those who love them," Wendy tweeted. Even the president was watching, tweeting, "Something special is happening in Austin tonight."

Something special indeed—a new hero for women's rights has emerged on the national scene—and her rise to the top is only beginning. The Harvard Law graduate could be a contender for Texas governor.

But we should note that the fight for women's rights in Texas isn't over yet. Gov. Rick Perry can call a special legislative session to vote again on SB-5. We don't doubt Wendy has our backs if and when he does.